Treasure Chest Thursday - 25 Feb 2010

While this is not perhaps the average “Treasure”, it is just that nonetheless. A treasure of a past that proclaimed a travesty that we pray is never repeated.


The ignorance of a nation appears to have finally sought knowledge, but the past remains, and it should be brought to light that future generations learn from those things that occurred. And lives of innocent are not in vain lost.

17 October 1891

Clifton Forge, Virginia

This is a photograph of the lynching that occurred in Clifton Forge, Virginia on 17 Oct 1891. My grandfather, John M. Bean, was living there at the time, and was a witness to much of this crime. Four black men, one of whom was only a 16-year old boy, were hung, dragged through the streets, and rehung, after a night of six of them drinking and carousing in the streets. The corpses were repeatedly shot by white passersby.


The Army National Guard was called in from Washington, D.C. to restore peace to the city.

The Washington Post described the travesty below:

From: THE WASHINGTON POST

18 October 1891

"LYNCHING IN VIRGINIA
A Day and Night of Bloodshed and Excitement at Clifton Forge
-------------------------------
SAVAGE FIGHTS WITH NEGROES
_________________
A White Man and a Black Killed in the Affray and Three Blacks Afterward Taken Out of Jail and Hanged by the Populace.
-----------------------------
CLIFTON FORGE, Va., Oct. 17. -- The inhabitants of Clifton Forge have been aroused to the utmost excitement to-day by one of the most tragic occurrences that has taken place in the town for many years, In fact never has there been such a fearful tragedy known in the history of the town, one white man and a negro being shot to death, and three negroes lynched.

This morning a gang of six armed, drunken negroes came into town from Big Hall mines, eight miles from here, and boasted loudly that they had come to take the place. This created confusion on the streets, as the negroes had pistols and other weapons which they exhibited freely. They walked about the streets insulting ladies and committing other outrages, and finally creating a riot.

A number of citizens decided to arrest them, but the negroes violently resisted arrest and breaking away from their would be captors, fled. A posse of town officers and citizens gave chase. When the negroes had nearly reached Iron Gate they turned and commenced firing upon their pursuers, and a battle between the posse and the rioters ensued. Philip Bolling of Albermarle county, a brakeman of the Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad Company, was killed outright at the first fire, and Frederick Wilkinson, of Bedford county, was injured seriously. Bolling was married. Wilkinson will recover, it is thought.

The news of the shooting spread rapidly with excitement and in a short time fifty men were scouring the mountains, where the negroes took refuge, hunting them down. All of them were captured after several hours search and a second battle on the mountains between policemen and negroes. One of the negroes is supposed to be dead from his wounds, The other four were placed in jail here, three of them having been wounded before they were captured.

Threats of lynching were heard on all sides, and the mayor prepared to defend the jail against attack, saying he was determined to frustrate the mob.

Two large mobs, numbering in all about 500, formed in the town and met at Sweetwood's store at about 10 o'clock tonight. They fired salutes and then the two combined and marched to the jail, where the prsioners taken in the afternoon had been confined.

They attempted, after firing into the jail for some time, to break open the door with a ram, but it was too strong and resisted their efforts. They then procured axes and sledge-hammers and broke in.

They took out three prsioners, and taken them to a gully about half a mile from the jail, they strung two of them up to a tree and filled them full of bullets. The third prisoner, who was a boy sixteen years old, they brought back.

It is not likely that any arrests will be made, as public sentiment justifies the deed, the conduct of the negroes and the shooting of the two white men having roused the public to an uncontrollable pitch of fury.
A fourth negro was taken out and lynched later."

All of this left a profound mark upon John. He kept a copy of the newspaper clipping until his death on 10 Apr 1955.

Wordless Wednesday - 24 Feb 2010

Tombstone Tuesday - 23 Feburary 2010

BLANCHE U.

WIFE OF

JOHN M. BEAN

BORN

APRIL 7, 1875

DIED

NOV. 18, 1902

Married June 26, 1895

 

Blanche Uremia Crosier was born 07 April 1875 to George William Crosier and Araminta Agnes Duncan. She was the third born of six children to this couple.

She married John Monroe Bean 26 Jun 1895 in Monroe County. The couple had three children: Rita, Lama and Pauline. Blanche contracted tuberculosis and died just four months after Pauline’s birth.

Blanche died on 18 November 1902.

Surname Saturday - 20 Feb 2010

Today I would like to introduce you to my Tuckwiller family:




1. Cynthia Ann BEANE daughter of Walter Maxwell BEANE and Lois Velleda DREHER.



2. Walter Maxwell BEANE son of John Monroe BEAN and Mary Elizabeth FAUDREE. Married: Lois Velleda DREHER.



4. John Monroe BEAN son of William McHarvey BEAN and Margaret Smith PERKINS was born on 15 Dec 1866 in Cincinatti, Ohio. He died on 10 Apr 1954 in Waiteville, Monroe Co., WV. Married [3]: Mary Elizabeth FAUDREE.



8. William McHarvey BEAN son of William M. BEAN and Rachel WISEMAN was born on 26 Aug 1832 in Dropping Lick, Near Zenith, Monroe Co, VA. He died on 14 May 1890 in Gap Mills, Monroe Co, WV. Married: Margaret Smith PERKINS.



17. Rachel WISEMAN daughter of Joseph WISEMAN and Elizabeth BATEMAN was born on 23 Apr 1790 in Rockbridge County, Virginia. She died on 07 Nov 1856 in Potts Creek, Monroe County, WV. Married: William M. BEAN.



19. Elizabeth TUCKWILLER daughter of John TUCKWILLER and Catherine RIFFE was born on 08 Nov 1779 in Greenbrier County, Virginia. She died on 28 Jul 1867 in Greenbrier County, Virginia. Married: Rev. Samuel PERKINS.



38. John TUCKWILLER son of Thomas TUCKWILLER and Sabina UNKNOWN was born in 1752 in Virginia. He died on 18 Feb 1832 in Rich Hollow, Greenbrier County, Virginia. Married: Catherine RIFFE.



76. Thomas TUCKWILLER. He died on 20 Oct 1774 in Shenandoah, Virginia. Married: Sabina UNKNOWN.

256GB Dream Come True!

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Chomping at the bit to own one? [Me too!]

This little baby will set you back a bit!

The MSRP is $1108.

Dare to dream gadget addicts!

Can you write..... Dear Santa,...?

Follow Friday - 19 February 2010

Today I’d like to introduce you to GeneaBlogie, which is written by H.C. Manson.

GeneaBlogie always offers thoughtful, and insightful, posts that will interest, educate and motivate you as a genealogist. I always leave GeneaBlogie feeling better for having spent a little time there.

Professor Manson is also a frequent contributor to Footnote, where I found his profile, which reads as follows: “Law professor and public policy specialist at University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law in Sacramento. Genealogical researcher and history writer focusing on southern Illinois, northwest Missouri, Texas Gulf Coast, Louisiana, middle Georgia.”

Professor Manson’s expertise in the field of genealogy research, and in writing, shine through in his every post and make this a perfect spot to spend an enjoyable afternoon. I highly recommend to you GeneaBlogie.

Faces of America - Part Two (Review)

Tonight we viewed the second episode of Faces of America, hosted by Henry Louis Gates, Jr.

After last weeks episode, in which I was a bit disappointed, I didn't know what to expect. But determined myself to view the program, and see what PBS and Gates was passing on to America as genealogy research.

I was not disappointed this week.

This episode was titled "Becoming American".

Between 1820 and 1924 over 36 million immigrants came to America. The legacy of these individuals is that their ancestry was one in country, but their nationality soon became American. They did, in fact, have a foot in both worlds.

No matter where our ancestors came from, they all had one thing in common. They CHOSE to come here.

When asked what being American means to him, Steven Colbert answered, "Being the best. Being number one."

Meryl Streep's great-grandfather, Balthazar, came here in 1869. He left behind in Switzerland, his wife and six children, and brought with him four of his sons. They never saw the family they left behind in Switzerland again.

Stephen Colbert's mother, Lorna Tuck, was born in 1920 in New York. Her great-grandfather was of Irish immigration. He apparently came to this country in 1820. He was a tenant farmer in Ireland. However, he apparently left Ireland, without a trace.

Kristi Yamaguchi won the 1992 figure skating gold medal in the Olympics for the United States. Her mother was born in a Japanese-American concentration camp. Her grandfather had lost all contact with his family in Japan.

Going to Japan, they located Kristi's father's cousin. His relatives had kept a photo of her grandfather that he'd sent to them from American.

Kristi's grandfather was the fourth oldest son, so in Japan he would not have inherited any land from his farmer father. So, at the age of 21, he was one of the first immigrants from his town to leave. He went first to Hawaii, and worked on a sugar plantation. He worked for $15 a month planting, cutting, and processing sugar cane.

Some immigrants actually found success.

Queen Noor was born in Washington, D.C. She was of Syrian descent. She then married King Hussein of Jordan. So, although an Arab-American from birth, she went full circle following that nationality. Her grandfather was born in Damascus. He started a business importing textiles to America. He lived in lower Manhattan. He brought his2 sons with him to America, leaving behind his wife and other children until 1894.

Steven Colbert's ancestors were hard to trace in Ireland. And so the Gates research team headed to Limmerick, Ireland. Colbert's great-great-grandfather left during the time of the great potato famine.

Poet Elizabeth Alexander's grandfather arrived here from Jamaica. He came to Harlem, to that area of eclectic mixed heritage. He used to tell the story that he stowed away on a banana boat to get here in 1918. Gates' research however uncovered that he purchased a ticket in a First Class Cabin aboard a ship to come.

Colbert's great-great-grandmother, Norah Manning came to America in steerage on July 11, 1863. Just two days after her arrival the great Draft Riots began. So, her arrival was highlighted by the sights and sounds of these horrible exhibitions. [These were the riots where abolitionists began to urge Northern blacks NOT to enlist in the military and fight for freedom for the blacks of the south. They feared that  if slaves won their freedom, jobs would be taken in the north, and the economy would be devestated.]

Kristi Yamaguchi's grandfather came to America in 1910 from Hawaii. As a farmer in California. He traveled back to Japan and came back to America with a wife. The couple soon had three children. However, tragedy struck, and within a few months he lost his wife and all of his children.

Mario Batali wanted to know why his ancestors left Italy to come here. His great-grandfather, Sebastian came to Butte, Montana in the late 1880's. He became a miner.

Queen Noor grew up with a portrait of her grandfather in her dining room as a child. His father passed away in 1897 leaving the family business to him and to his brother. During the time of his immigration, only whites and blacks could become Naturalized citizens of America. He became one of the major lobbysits for policy reform on this issue. And he set about to prove that he was a "white" man. He did so, and went on to marry the daughter of a Texas rancher.

Mario Batali's great-uncle died of consumption. There was also a mjor mining accident where a lift fell more than 800 feet in the mine where Mario's great-grandfather worked. It was after these things that he quit mining.

Kristi Yamaguchi's grandfather married again, to a young Japanese widow, with three children. She found it most interesting that their marriage record listed both her grandfather, and her grandmother, as "yellow", instead of Asian. The couple went on to have eight children. During the time of WWII they were all shipped off to a concentration camp in Arizona. He had to rebuild his life from scratch, again. But even during the hardest points he managed to send clothing and goods to his family in Japan. He bcame a citizen in December 1954. He had been in this country for 55 years. And although it had used and abused him, he was most proud of his accomplishment in becoming a Naturalized citizen. He died just four years later in 1958.

Steven Colbert's great-grandfather became a naturalized citizen in 1860. Reading the document aloud, Colbert stated this was the single most profound document he had ever read.

At the close of the show, Gates took Queen Noor to Brooklyn, and to the graves of her ancestors. Standing at the head of their graves, one can look toward the east, and view, clearly, the Statue of Liberty.

I was moved, at times to tears, by this week's episode. The hardships endured by these individuals were tremendous. And often, the cruelty they faced in this new land went beyond what anyone should have to endure. And yet, these individuals stood resolute in the promise that this was the land of freedom, and justice. This was the "Promised Land".

Treasure Chest Thursday - 18 Feb 2010

I’ve written many times regarding Grandpa Bean, and the fact that he was married three times, outliving his first two wives. I don’t recall mentioning, however, that Grandpa didn’t drive. Or rather, he only drove on a couple of occasions. One particular occasion he was in an accident that involved three of his children being in the car, one with minor injuries, and he himself was injured in the back, and suffered from a bad back until his death. And so he refused to drive again.

However, that didn’t stop his second wife, Ada Burdette Bean, from driving! And the proof of that is in this 1923 auto registration made out to her.

The card is postmarked Charleston, W.VA. 5:30 PM on May 7, 1923, and has a 1 cent stamp.

It is a Class “A” Autombile Certificate No. 92425

Name of Car: Ford Tour 1921

H.P. 12.5

Weight: _____ [illegible with stamp over top]

Fee: $3.13

Factory: 4426052

Motor No. 42677

Date: 5-4-1923

It is addressed to:
Mrs. J.M. BEAN
Gap Mills
Monroe Co W.VA.

There isn’t a lot of information regarding any of my Grandpa’s wives, even my own grandmother [although I do have the added benefit of having her live with our family the last 10 years of her life]. So, when we come across something like this, we treasure it. It is as if we are getting a rare peak into the past, and finding a glimpse of what Ada Burdette Bean may have been like.

Wordless Wednesday - February 17, 2010

Tombstone Tuesday

Neel Cemetery

Gap Mills, Monroe, West Virginia

For the next few weeks I will be showing photographs taken from the Neel Cemetery, located on the Rowan Road in Gap Mills, Monroe, West Virginia.

This tiny little cemetery [seen above half way between the road and the cemetery] is easily missed when driving past. It appears as a small clump of trees in the middle of a field at a farm. You must hike across the undulating field to gain access of the tiny grove.

Once there, you are greeted by only a few small stones and a memorial cairn honoring the prominent Maxwell Sisters and their spouses, who all but one spouse of the sisters, is buried in the grove.

Neither the cemetery, nor the road [which is a scant 3/4 of a mile long] are marked with information regarding the cemetery.

Next week we will highlight one of the stones of the cemetery.

Madness Monday

What is it that drives me “Mad” this week?


Well, I’m actually having a pretty doggone wonderful week! Research has been moving along quite briskly, and events are being uncovered for one particular client that have been so enlightening to her family, that I am just having one of those weeks that nothing seems to be particularly “maddening”!

If there is anything that is “maddening” this week, it would be in my disappointment in the PBS debut of “Faces of America”.

Henry Louis Gates, Jr. did a spectacular job in hosting the program. And the celebrities that were aired were simply amazed at the results of his research.

But it was almost as if the research just “magically” produced the content of the show.

Prospective clients often come to me with an attitude that if they purchase a 40-hour research package from me, that they should get the results in 40-hours. Right? Or one work week. Right?

WRONG!

And that’s where I often lose them. Forty hours means that I will dedicate forty-hours in the actual research portion of the project. But a project may take weeks or months to complete! And if we have to rely upon written correspondence for records from a far and distant land [say England, or Switzerland, etc.] then it may take even longer.

If it means digging through archives, and dusty, moldy, records then it can take days. And that doesn’t include the travel to and from the particular repository!

So, when I begin to explain this to a client, they are sometimes at a loss.

I have been told way too many times, “Well, I really needed this next week for so-and-so’s birthday!” [Or for Christmas, etc. One of my busiest times of year is the few weeks before Christmas when the Virgin Birth isn’t the only miracle expected to be performed for the holiday!]

Henry Louis Gates, Jr. doesn’t go into any of the details in how or where he obtained the research for the celebrities. Nor does he go into how long this research took for each celebrity. I think that if a prominent genealogist/ historian such as he would have gone into that sort of detail, the viewer would then have an understanding of what is required of a genealogical researcher, and why time cannot be measured in how fast a report can be put together for a client, but rather in the excellence of the research completed.

That’s my “maddening” Monday observation.

History Detectives - Overview of 2/13/10

I absolutely adore the hit PBS show History Detectives. I was recently asked if I would write a review of each show and include it in my genealogy blog. I am more than honored to do so!

I am located in southern West Virginia, and History Detectives airs here on Saturday's at 4 p.m.

Yesterday there were three segments to the History Detectives:

Segment 1:
A songbook titled "Slave Songs of the United States", published in 1867 was presented. The request was to discover who collected the songs and was it, indeed, the very first collection of African-American spirituals.

In 1860 there were more than 4-million slaves in the United States. Most of these had been "imported" from Africa. And they had brought with them songs from their native land. These songs evolved into spirituals, gospels, jazz and protest songs of the '60's.

Avery Clayton's mother, Mamie, collected alot of things during her lifetime. While Avery was going through a box he came across this book of songs.

Our History Detective discovered right off the bat, from the first couple of pages, who the compilers of the songs were: William Francis Allen, Charles Picard Ware, and Lucy McKim Garrison.

Next, our detective headed to Howard University, in Washington, D.C. and James Norris, director of the Howard Choir.

"These songs were everything [to the African-American]," he said. They brought visions of hope. And sometimes of escape.

Although the words were spiritual, the meanings were personal: hell [being sold farther south], Jordan River [the Mississippi, Ohio, Tennessee rivers, etc.], reward [freedom], etc.

Eventually this music evolved into Jazz, Rock n Roll, and into Hip Hop.

Hesonia Caldwell stated that Allen, Ware and Garrison were committed abolitionists, and that this is indeed the very first compilation of African-American songs. It was collected before and during the Civil War.

Dr. Harvey from Port Royal explained that during the Civil War, Port Royal was overtaken by the Union soldiers, and slave owners and their families fled, leaving behind their slaves. Teachers, missionaries and abolitionists poured into the area to teach and prepare the slaves for emancipation.  And that's when Allen, Ware and Garrison came down and began recording the songs for posterity. They wrote the songs phonetically, just the way they were sung to them.

At the close of this segment, Howard University's choir gave Avery Clayton a private concert of some of the songs from the text.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

SEGMENT 2
In this segment, Jeb McIntire has a Guild guitar that he suspects was owned by folk guitarist Josh White in the '60's, and may have been the prototype for a signature guitar made especially for White.

Josh White was an African-American that was an early ambassador of music to the white community. His name is almost forgotten today, but those who do remember him consider him a legend.

McIntire wants to know if this guitar is indeed one that was owned by Josh White, and second if Guild had intended for it to be the protoype of a signature guitar for White. When McIntire tried to research the guitar, he says he discovered it was made in 1959.

Josh White was a brilliant guitarist. He frequented the White House of our nation; FDR and Eleanor Roosevelt enjoyed his talent immensely. Political groups considered him "a champion of the people". His talent is considered to be much like Woody Guthrie, and others of the time and genre. He had an uncanny ability to draw mixed race crowds; he had a charismatic personality; and he frequently played in the Cafe Society in New York.

As a young boy, Jeb McIntire even met and played with Josh White.

In the era of Cold War, The House Committee of Unamerican Activities sought out Josh White and wanted him to name names among his friends and members of the artistic community. White refused to do so, and moved to England until things in America would cool off and come back to "normal".

Our History Detective took the Guild guitar to Jay Pilsner of Guild who stated that the model is made of Brazil wood and was definitely a special order, made in 1965 [confirmed by it's serial number]. A Josh White Ovation guitar came out in 1967, so he doubted that Guild would have meant for this one to be a signature guitar.

A bit disappointed that this Guild was not a Josh White signature guitar, the History Detective took the guitar to White's son, Josh White, Jr. who used to sing and play alongside his Dad in Cafe Society. He stated that the guitar was definitely made for his Dad. The proof was in the extra-wide neck; he stated that it only made sense that Guild would not have made him such a special guitar if they had not meant to make it a signature collection.

The 1965 director of Guild was located by the History Detective, who then brought the story to fulmation.

Guild had in fact made the guitar especially for White in 1965. It was in fact to be a signature series guitar. Plans just kind of fell by the wayside, and in 1967 Ovation guitars stepped in and picked up a signature guitar series contract with White.

Josh White's major message was social consciousness. He died in 1969, unexpectedly of heart disease.

~*~*~*~*~~*~*~*~*~

SEGMENT 3:
1520 Sedgewick Avenue, The Bronx
[This was a repeat from a previous show.]

In the 1970's President Jimmy Carter helped to renovate this area.

Elvin Raez collects vinyl records. He performs part-time as a DJ. He says that the myth of Clive Campbell, aka "Cool Hurt", the "father of Hip Hop" lived at this address and threw a party there on 11 Aug 1973, and from here on that date Hip Hop was born.

Hip Hop is an African-American phenomenon.

To look at the building, however, one sees a plain, blocky building, with a brick facade.

Our History Detective goes to Curtis Sherrad of the Hip Hop Cultural Ceneter.

Sharrad states that Hip Hop is a combination of four major components:
    1 - MC
    2 - graffiti
    3 - break dancing
    4 - DJ

Sherrad states that at a house party in 1973, "Cool Hurt" threw a dance , using 2 turntables and "Boom! Hip Hop!"

Mark Massis of the Director of the Urban Center states that the Bronx was "the most integrated community in the United States".

In 1967, Clive Campbell, aka "Cool Hurt", moved to the Bronx from Jamaica with the great influx of Jamaican immigrantion. His sound captivated and captured the imaginations of young people there.

At Harvard university's Hip Hop Studies Archive, director Marceline Morgan states that "birth is a process, not just a moment", and so it was difficult to place a single moment as the birth of Hip Hop. She stated it was important to understand this genre, and that it is had a tremendous impact on the face of this country.

Then from her archives, Ms. Morgan pulled out a hand written flyer for an invitation to a house party dance, hosted by "Cool Hurt", on August 11, 1973 from 9p.m. to 4a.m.. in the Rec. Room.

The address?

1520 Sedgewick Avenue. The Bronx.

The result being that Hip Hop was, indeed, born at this address on the date so named in "the myth".

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

This has been a great privilege for my part in viewing and reviewing this episode of the show. I look forward to reviewing next week's History Detectives on PBS.

52 Weeks To Better Genealogy - Challenge 7

The newest [week 7] challenge for the 52 Weeks to Better Genealogy is:

"Play with Google Maps (http://maps.google.com). This is a helpful tool for determining the locations of addresses in your family history. Where your ancestral homestead once stood may now be a warehouse, a parking lot or a field. Perhaps the house is still there. When you input addresses in Google Maps, don’t forget to use the Satellite View and Street View options for perspectives that put you were right there where your ancestors once stood. If you’ve used this tool before, take sometime and play with it again. Push all the buttons, click all the links and devise new ways it can help with your personal genealogy research. If you have a genealogy blog, write about your experiences with Google Maps, or suggest similar easy (and free) tools that have helped in your own research.




This challenge runs from Saturday, 13 February 2010 through Friday, 19 February 2010."

Well, this was one challenge I absolutely loved!!!

I input three of my known addresses as a child. And actually came up with the 4th place as well!!!

The program is easy to operate, and I found it ALOT of fun!

By inputing the address, I was taken to the satellite view. By switching to the street view, I was literally taken to a point where I was standing in the middle of the street viewing the address.

With simple manipulation you can move up and down the street, and even onto the lot where the address is located.

One simple thing I wish Google would do is make it possible to save the photo's!!! However, you can print and then scan them. While the quality is "poor" for a snapshot, it does give me a snapshot I would otherwise not have of the homes where I lived as a child!

Here is the home where I spent most of my growing up years, located at 4600 Krick Street in Norfolk, Virginia [yep, my Daddy was a sailor in the US Navy!!!]. It was located on the corner of Krick and Early Streets. Unfortunately the beautiful holly bushes that Daddy had at the fron of the house are gone now, as are the crepe myrtle trees that lined Early street, and the Blue Mountain Fir that Mama and Daddy had planted in the front yard. But the house is basically unchanged. Even the 6-foot chain-link fence is in the back that Mama and Daddy put up for our beloved German Shepherd's, Angel and Uhla.
 
[I hated to leave there! I cried and begged my Mama and Daddy to send me to boarding school! I did not want to move to the country! - I HATED the country back then!] I used to fantasize about one day buying the house and living there again. Sometimes I still do!
 
This exercise evoked a ton of memories! As I "walked" around the houses where I grew up, I recalled so many things I thought I'd forgotten! There was the little duplex we lived at when my baby sister was born! Then the little cottage one block from the beach where we lived when my Grandma Bean came to live with us. Then the little house we lived at when I went to first grade! And lastly here, where we lived until I started high school.
 
Thanks GeneaBloggers for this walk down Memory Lane!

Sentimental Sunday - 14 February 2010

I couldn't show you anything that I am more sentimental about on this "Sentimental Sunday", or on this Valentine's Day, than the love of my life.

And yes, here we are, back on Febrary 27, 1998. Just a few minutes after we said "I do"..

We were married in a small church along Kitchen Creek, in Covington, Alleghany County, Virginia by Rev. Jackie Hollowell. The Church was the Lone Star Baptist Church [we thought it was wonderfully suited for our wedding since he is from Texas; the "Lone Star State"!]

Only my parents, my sister and her husband, my niece and her husband, three of my children [who all stood up with us] and the friend who introduced us, were present.

Here you can see the tiny assembly! We chose to keep it small since it wasn't the first marriage for either of us.

Immediately following the ceremony we spent a week in Monroe, Virginia where the other two children were in school. We visited Natural Bridge, where we hiked to the falls and toured the wax museum, and ate out daily and acted like teenagers!

At the head of Natural Bridge Falls on our honeymoon.

We will soon be celebrating our 12th anniversary together. It isn't hard to believe that it's been 12 years. What is hard to believe is that we haven't ALWAYS been together!

There is an old saying, and while I may not get it totally correct, I'm sure you'll catch the meaning of it: "You cannot tell where the one ends and the other begins."

That is us. And my memories of the awful years before he came into my life are fading away.I can scarce recall a time when he was not in my life, and made my life a happy place.

I so want that to be what my descendants find when they go looking for us in the years far away. That where we were, was a happy place. And we were together - ALWAYS.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Review of Faces of America

Like most of my genealogy buddies, I was plastered in front of the television Wednesday evening at 8 p.m. to watch PBS's, Faces of America.

I am surprised that so few actually have taken the time to review it! Oh, there are a few posts out there that I've found, but not nearly the response I had anticipated.

I have to be honest, I was a bit disappointed. While the information uncovered was good, it wasn't exceptional. And so far, the information could have been uncovered if the individuals had only asked their parents! Nothing substantially spectacular. However, they [PBS] didn't even begin to explain how THEY got the information they uncovered.

This was more of a replay of the old hit TV show, "This Is Your Life", but in playing the celebrities grandparents!

I don't know how anyone else felt, but the whole show felt a bit disjointed in that it jumped from celebrity to celebrity without completing any real investigation into a single one!

Maybe I am just being a bit "picky", since this is what I do for a living. But I'd like to see more of the "nuts and bolts" process used in obtaining the results of the investigations.

However, host Henry Louis Gates, Jr. did an excellent job. He was warm and inviting.

If I take away wanting to see more of the "technical" side of the process, I was entertained. It was interesting and fun to watch the expressions from the celebrities as they learned more about their ancestors. And the emotions that were evoked made the show worth watching. I suppose I was just expecting a bit more from my favorite network, PBS.

Yes... I will be tuned in again this coming Wednesday evening! It's still the best thing on television on Wednesday evening!

Winter Games - Category 1

Competing in Category 1 of the Winter 2010 GeneaBlogger Games is Mountain Genealogy's Cyndi Beane Henry.

Event 1. Go Back and Cite Your Sources!
Having learned many years ago to cite sources on EVERYTHING, I do not have a single entry in my data files without a source cited. Since there are well over 15,000 individual's in my personal data base, and considering that each has an average of 3 facts listed, with of course, 3 sources cited, we are talking 15,000 x 3 sources cited or 45,000 sources cited.

Qualifications for the event are:
* 10 Citations - Bronze Medal
* 20 Citations - Silver Medal
* 30 Citations - Gold Medal
* 40 Citations - Diamond Medal
* 50 Citations - Platinum Medal

With those qualifcations, that means that Mountain Genealogy brings home the PLATINUM MEDAL in the first event Go Back and Cite Your Sources!

Score one platinum medal for Mountain Genealogy!!!

Winter 2010 GeneaBlogger Games

And the games are on!

They actually began yesterday with the parade of banners/flags.

Here is my flag!

You will note  that this is a combination of the German flag [upper left] the Irish flag [lower left] and the American flag [right]. My ancestors came from Germany and Ireland. Which is why the two flags are prominent here. On the right you will note the red and white stripes of the American flag, representing the original colonies. Those same ancestors fought in the American revolution to proclaim those original colonies as America! And overlapping all is the 50 stars of the American Flag. Representing the 50 states. From which the inhabitants came from a multitude of nationalities, including the flags represented here.

Perhaps not the most original of the banners, it is heartfelt nonetheless.

The following 6-categories are among the "games":

Competition Categories – Winter 2010 GB Games

1. Go Back and Cite Your Sources!

We all know how important our research is – but it is only worth the evidence that supports it! Have you ever looked at an entry in your database and wondered, “Where did that come from?” or “How can that be?” All events can and should be backed up by linking them to sources and evidence using a consistent and clear citation format.



Create proper citations of sources for as many events possible using either Evidence Explained: Citing History Sources from Artifacts to Cyberspace by Elizabeth Shown Mills or How to Cite Sources by John Wiley.



Qualifications for “Go Back and Cite Your Sources!”:



•10 Citations – Bronze Medal

•20 Citations – Silver Medal

•30 Citations – Gold Medal

•40 Citations – Diamond Medal

•50 Citations – Platinum Medal

2. Back Up Your Data!

Backup data to choice of formats (flash drives, CDs, DVDs, online) or storing hard copies properly (safety deposit box, safe, etc.).



•Task A: Prepare a comprehensive backup plan for your digital research files and a security plan for your hard copies and photos.

•Task B: Secure your hard copies and photos in waterproof containers.

•Task C: Backup all your data using a flash drive, an external drive, CDs, DVDs, or an online resource

•Task D: Have all your hard copies and photos scanned and secure them either in a fire-proof safe or offsite in a safety-deposit box/secure environment

•Task E: All your data is backed up digitally and secured physically and you can recover from any disaster while losing only one month or less worth of research

Qualifications for “Back Up Your Data!”:



•Complete Task A – Bronze Medal

•Complete Task B – Silver Medal

•Complete Task C – Gold Medal

•Complete Task D – Diamond Medal

•Complete Task E – Platinum Medal

3. Organize Your Research!

So you have plenty of research – that’s okay if you can find what you need when you need it, right? Take time to review your collection of documents and photos, both hard copy and digital, and work to organize those items for easy access.



•Task A: Organize at least 20 hard files or ancestral items (books, fabrics, inherited items) into file folders, boxes, envelopes, containers, etc.; archival-quality where appropriate.

•Task B: Organize at least 20 digital files into folders, label, add metadata, add descriptions, add tags, etc.

•Task C: Organize at least 20 photos into photo albums, scrapbooks, collages, protective holders, boxes, etc.

•Task D: Organize at least 20 digital photos into folders, label, add metadata, add descriptions, add tags, etc.

•Task E: Create at least 20 data entries in your database, or scan 20 photos, or scan 20 documents.

•Task F: Create a master list of your files and notify your family members of where it is stored.

Qualifications for “Organize Your Research!”:



•Complete any one task – Bronze Medal

•Complete any two tasks – Silver Medal

•Complete any three tasks – Gold Medal

•Complete any four tasks – Diamond Medal

•Complete five or more tasks – Platinum Medal

4. Expand Your Knowledge

Very often we get “settled in our ways” and are afraid to try new things. Or we’ve convinced ourselves that we already know how to complete certain genealogical tasks. Try out these challenges to get new perspectives on your genealogical skills.



•Task A: Use Google Maps to map out an ancestral location. Create a map that you can then embed into a blog post. To learn more see Google Maps and Carnival Posts at Bootcamp for GeneaBloggers.

•Task B: Create a timeline related to one of your lines of research, a specific ancestor or location. Get creative using a free application such as TimeToast. Post your timeline on your blog.

•Task C: Create a memorial page for an ancestor using either Footnote’s Create A Page feature or their Facebook application I Remember.

•Task D: Visit tutorial and learning pages of popular websites such as Ancestry.com or FamilySearch’s excellent articles repository.

•Task E: Create a surname visualization using Wordle, Word It Out or a similar application. Post the graphic to your blog.

Qualifications for “Expand Your Knowledge”:



•Complete any one task – Bronze Medal

•Complete any two tasks – Silver Medal

•Complete any three tasks – Gold Medal

•Complete any four tasks – Diamond Medal

•Complete any five tasks – Platinum Medal

5. Write, Write, Write!

Do you find birth dates, death dates and all the data boring if there’s no narrative behind it? Don’t you find the stories about ancestors more attractive than cut and dried census data? It takes time to be able to write about your family history and the more you write and the more often you write, the easier it is to bring your family to life for others to see.



•Task A: Write a summary of what your blog is about and post it on your blog – you may not have done this since you started the blog and it is a great way to have new readers learn more about your site. If your blog uses the Blogger platform, consider using the new Pages feature as described in Blogger Announces New Pages Feature.

•Task B: Participate in a genealogy or family history related blog carnival. See the AnceStories post February 2010 Calendar of Events for a list of these carnivals and their submission URLs and deadlines.

•Task C: Prepare several posts in draft mode and pre-publish them.

•Task D: Write a brief biographical sketch on one of your ancestors.

•Task E: Create a page on your blog listing surnames, ahnentafel reports or using some other topic. This will help new visitors to your blog understand your area of research. Again, consider using the new Pages feature as described in Blogger Announces New Pages Feature.

•Task F: Participate in a 52 Weeks To Better Genealogy Challenge.

Qualifications for “Write, Write, Write!”:



•Complete any one task – Bronze Medal

•Complete any two tasks – Silver Medal

•Complete any three tasks – Gold Medal

•Complete any four tasks – Diamond Medal

•Complete five or more tasks – Platinum Medal

6. Reach Out & Perform Genealogical Acts of Kindness!

•Task A: Comment on a new (to you) genealogy blog. See the New Genealogy Blogs tag at GeneaBloggers for the newest blogs.

•Task B: Post one or more gravestone photos at Find A Grave.

•Task C: Invite other genealogists to join Facebook, GenealogyWise, Twitter or some other social media network where genealogists meet.

•Task D: Assist another researcher with a research request or lookup. See AnceStories “Random Acts of Kindness Week” posts for ideas for this item and Item E

•Task E: Participate in an indexing project.

•Task F: Join a genealogical, historical, heritage or lineage society.

•Task G: Use the Follow feature on a Blogger-based genealogy blog and follow one or more blogs.

Qualifications for “Reach Out & Perform Genealogical Acts of Kindness!”:



•Complete any one task – Bronze Medal

•Complete any two tasks – Silver Medal

•Complete any three tasks – Gold Medal

•Complete any four tasks – Diamond Medal

•Complete five or more tasks – Platinum Medal
 
And so with that in mind....
 
the torch is lit.....banners unfurled....
 
LET THE GAMES BEGIN!!!!

Who Do You Think You Are Trailer

Surname Saturday - 13 Feb 2010

Today I would like to introduce you to my EVE family ancestors.


1. Cynthia Ann BEANE daughter of Walter Maxwell BEANE and Lois Velleda DREHER


3. Lois Velleda DREHER daughter of Henry Condar DREHER Jr. and Irene Caroline BANET

Lois Velleda DREHER and Walter Maxwell BEANE were married in Presidio of San Francisco, San Francisco, CA

7. Irene Caroline BANET daughter of Francis Isidore Banet and Adeline Josephine EVE was born on 24 May 1906 in Indiana. She died on 08 Aug 1989 in Gap Mills, Monroe Co., WV.

Henry Condar DREHER Jr. and Irene Caroline BANET were married on 12 Dec 1923 in Indiana. They had the following children:

          i. Ethel Marie DREHER


          ii. Arthur Calvin DREHER


          iii. Laura Marion DREHER


          iv. Billy Leon DREHER


          v. Lois Velleda DREHER



15. Adeline Josephine EVE daughter of Joseph EVE and Annette was born on 11 Feb 1867 in Indiana. She died on 05 Nov 1958 in Indiana.

Francis Isidore Banet and Adeline Josephine EVE were married on 31 Oct 1893 in Floyd County,

Indiana.

They had the following children:

          i. Robert Benjamin Banet


          ii. Arthur Matthias BANET


          iii. Charles Franklin BANET


         iv. Augustin Philip BANET


          v. Francis Eugene BANET


          vi. Clarence J. BANET


          vii. Irene Caroline BANET


          viii. Lorene J. BANET



30. Joseph EVE son of Unknown Eve and Unknown was born on 11 Jan 1829 in France. He died on 08 Jan 1892 in New Albany, Floyd Co., IN.

31. Annette was born on 12 Feb 1840 in Indiana. She died on 01 May 1870 in Indiana.

Joseph EVE and Annette were married before 1858.

They had the following children:

          i. Nicholas EVE


          ii. Joseph EVE


          iii. Lawrence EVE


          iv. Alfred EVE


          v. Charles EVE


          vi. Adeline Josephine EVE

Follow Friday - 12 Feb 2010

Today I’d like to introduce you to Genea-Musings . Okay, so you will either have had to been hiding under a rock for the past several years, or just beginning in genealogy, not to know who the author of this site is: Randy Seaver.


On his site Randy describes himself as: “I am a native San Diegan, a graduate of San Diego State University, a retired aerospace engineer, a genealogist and a family guy. My wife (Angel Linda) and I have two lovely daughters married to smart men, and four darling grandchildren. We love to visit them and have them visit us. Angel Linda and I love to travel to visit friends and relatives, to sightsee, to cruise or to do genealogy. Our travels have taken us all over the USA, to England and Scandinavia.”

Randy is one of those rare individuals who covers both genealogy and the technical side of various genealogy programs. [I have to admit, much of the technical stuff goes – whoosh- straight over my head! ] But Randy breaks it down into bite-size chunks that are digestible even for those of us who are technology challenged!

One of my favorite things that Randy does is each Saturday he offers us a Saturday Night Genealogy Fun challenge. You never know what is going to come out of Randy’s imagination! But you can bet, it’s going to make you stretch a bit, and give you a little fun at the same time.

Randy’s posts are the first I read whenever I go to my news reader. He posts frequently, so you are bound to have something new just about every time you check.

Randy Seaver is one of those persons who helps to make genealogy the very fun subject it can be!

I highly recommend that you sign up to receive Randy’s posts. You will be glad you did!

Treasure Chest Thursday - Feb 11, 2010

$3 Republic of Texas Bill

Circa 1841

Oh, it’s only a copy. Not the real thing. But my husband has the entire series of Texas Republic bills [copies] framed for his office. These are special to us, even though not the real thing, because his family goes back to the very first white settlers in Texas.

His family received one of the very first grants into Austin’s Colony. [I’ll post that one of these days.] My sister-in-law had the document translated for those of us who do not speak the language, so it has been a wonderful treat!

The bills are authentic in every detail, [except for the stamp – COPY – which you will note near the mid-bottom at the left of the date.]

No, not the real thing, but just as much a treasure to us!

The Snow At Our House

I thought everyone would like to see the view from my front porch this morning. We are currently under about 38-inches of the white stuff!

Yes, the lump on the left is my car. Notice the bumper and all is hidden by the snow! [It's an '88 Lincoln, so it's no small car!!!]

My neighbor's back stoop sits 44-inches from the ground. Here you can see the snow at her stoop.

My little side yard has diassappeared!

Google Introduces Google Buzz

Google Introduces Google Buzz | Games & Gadgets | SPIKE.com

Some Very Old Pictures

Old Pics

View more presentations from texicanwife.

It is unknown who put this lovely presentation together. I received this in an email with no credits noted. Enjoy!

Wordless Wednesday - 10 Feb 2010

Four Generations

Left to Right:

JoAnn Hartman, Betty Rotge Custer [1930-2003]; Ora Lee Sparks [1914-1982]; and Laura May Clements [1890-1969].

Laura May was the daughter of bad boy James “Jim” Clements, compadre and first cousin to Wiled West outlaw, John Wesley Hardin.

Circa 1960, San Antonio, Texas.

Woman Claimed to Be 125

Relatives in eastern Cuba claim to have held a 125th birthday party for a woman named Juana Bautista de la Candelaria Rodriguez, but it is not clear if she is really that old.

The state-run news agency Prensa Latina reported on the party last weekend in the city of Bayamo in Granma province, attended by Rodriguez's family, including 15 great-grand children and four great-great-grandchildren.

Prensa Latina said Rodriguez, known affectionately as "Candulia," is "presumably the oldest person on the planet, although that has not been confirmed."

In a phone interview with Cuban media, Rodriguez said she was happy and looking forward to many great years ahead.

The agency added that civil registry documents confirm she was born on Feb. 2, 1885, in the village of Santa Rosa, where she continues to live.

The Guinness Book of World Records says it has never heard of the case.

"We currently have not received a claim relating to the individual," spokesman Philip Robertson told The Associated Press on Tuesday.

Robertson said Guinness gets claims via its Web site about once a week involving people who say they or someone they know have broken age records. After an especially old person's age is verified, or death is reported, the number of claims usually spikes.

He said the company only sends genealogists and other experts to trace family histories for the most promising reports, however, and few are authenticated.

Guinness is currently reviewing claims for the oldest living person after Georgia-native Gertrude Baines died last year at 115.

The highest fully authenticated age was 122 years, 164 days by Jeanne Louise Calment, who died in 1997 in Arles, France.

Tombstone Tuesday - 09 Feb 2010

Following in my previous Tombstone Tuesday ] I will be chronicling the photographs I have taken of the New Zion Union Church Cemetery, located on the Ray Siding Road in Waiteville, Monroe County, West Virginia. Each week I will be highlighting two of these tombstones.

Alice B. and William A. EPLING

William A. Epling was born 02 Feb 1867 in Giles County, Virginia. He married Alice “Allie” Bean on 21 Oct 1894 in Monroe County. He died 22 Aug 1949. He was the son of Jacob Epling and Harriet Sibold.

Allie was born 10 April 1870 in Waiteville, Monroe County, West Virginia to William McHarvey Bean and Margaret Smith Perkins. She died 02 Nov 1960 in Gap Mills, Monroe County, WV.

The couple had the following children: Willie, Harriet, Annie, Loretta, Mary, Paul, and William. Only the last two lived to adulthood.

Mary Alice Crosier Furrow

Mary Alice Crosier was born 29 Dec 1863 to John McIlhenny Crosier and Nancy C. Chapman. She married Oscar Wiley Furrow on 01 Mar 1883 in Monroe County, West Virginia. She was the mother of: Mabel, Ivy and Fred.

Madness Monday - 08 Feb 2010

Ancestral Labels


I have had several clients over the past few years that have become upset over little things we have uncovered regarding their ancestors.

One client was so upset over the fact that their ancestor had owned slaves that they asked me to “erase that slave census thingy, because I don’t want anyone else to ever know about this”. Uh… erase the Census record? [Yes, she was very serious! She wanted me to make sure the original census record was deleted forever. Not just in the research we were performing, but the original record!] She was totally distraught when I told her that I couldn’t do that, it was a public record. [She has a son who is an aspiring politician, and she was afraid it wouldn’t look very good for him.]

I had another that took part in a well-known Virginia lynching in 1891. She asked that I make sure I “buried” the newspaper story that named him. [What?] Yeah, for some reason she thought I could make the story disappear from the newspaper archives.

I have had several who asked that I just “don’t put that into my report”. From having a well-known old west outlaw, to owning slaves, to being named a part of the Mafioso of Chicago in its heyday.

I have always felt sorry for those individuals who want me to hold back part of the information we uncover for them. And a couple of times I have taken the time to express my ideals on the subject. After all, I have told them, our ancestors are not us, and they do not reflect who we ourselves are. We make our own names in this world. Well, I have been told I don’t know what I am talking about. [I have never been able to convince these people other than what they have requested of me.]

Today, when they ask me to do this, I just highlight in my Word program, and delete the text they ask me to.

But it’s a real shame! Yes, these individuals may have done things that their families are not proud of, but they are still a part of their heritage. Now, as my hubby says, you can take after that person if you want, or you can make something really wonderful of your name. It’s all up to you.

I for one intend to do the latter when these occasional “ne’er-do-wells” creep into my tree.

SNGF - Super Bowl Scores...

Uncanny, isn't it?

I predicted the Saints would win. My scores were a bit off... I predicted a winning spread of 6 points, and it was more like 14. But hey, for a person who knows Jack-Diddly about football...I didn't do too badly!!!

Eat your heart out Colts fans!!!

See my Super-Bowl winner prediction here.

Convolutions

The following is in regard to the Bean family of Monroe County, West Virginia. The family was rather large. Old William and Rachel Bean having 13 children, and their various lines of descendants. Today they are spread abroad, but the family remains tightly woven with the many families that remain in the county today.

Who’s Related To Who?


So, I was emailing my cousin, Mandy, and we were discussing the Crosier links to the Bean family. Especially the Thomas Crosier family. Thomas Crosier was the father of Martha Jane Crosier, who married Samuel Waite Bean [son of William and Margaret Perkins Bean].

Mandy mention that on the 1870 Census, Martha [known affectionately as “Mattie”], is found with the last name Hedrick.

Well, that’s easily enough explained. Mattie’s mother, Mary E. Chennault was married to Moses Hedrick on 22 May 1858. Following the birth of two children –James Joseph and Moses, Jr., Moses Sr. died on 12 Jul 1862, in Greenbrier County, WV. Mary, left alone with two children, married Thomas Crosier on 14 Feb. 1866. The couple had two children, Mattie and Amie. [Thomas had previously been married to Malinda J. Kinzley – b.1831-d. abt 1865] and had four children by her: Hannah Sarah [known as Sarah], Jacob, Agnes and Mary. On the 1870 census, the census taker was listing the children from oldest to youngest, and the first two were Crosiers [from Thomas’ first marriage], the next were two Hedricks [from Mary’s first marriage] and the last Martha Jane. However, the census taker simply carried down the last name given him, and poor Mattie looks to have the surname Hedrick on this record, which can be extremely confusing to this scenario.

Now, Thomas was the son of William Crosier [eldest son of Andrew Crosier and Elizabeth Maxwell – one of the four Maxwell sister’s whose family were among the very first settlers in Gap Valley, Monroe County.] and Sarah Bowyer.

Keep up here! Then we have Mary Chennault’s first husband, Moses. Moses was the son of Frederick Hedrick and Hannah Tuckwiller. [You’re probably saying you recognize that name.] Hannah Tuckwiller was the daughter of John Tuckwiller and Catherine Riffe. John and Catherine were the parents of Elizabeth Tuckwiller, yes the wife of Rev. Samuel Perkins/Parkins, and the couple were the parents of Margaret Smith Perkins/Parkins, who married William McHarvey Bean, and became the parents of Samuel Waite Bean, who married none other than Martha Jane “Mattie Crosier”.

[You will probably need a scorecard here!]

To really confuse you… Viranda Elizabeth Bean, [the daughter of William and Margaret Perkins Bean – affectionately known as “Betty”] married none other than James Joseph Hedrick, who was the son of Mary Chennault and Moses Hedrick. And yes, we now have convoluting circles within circles, within circles!

WARNING: Don’t try to draw this family tree out! You’re bound to get dizzy if you do!!!

So… I lovingly like to say… “Who are the Bean’s related to? I think it would be much easier to list who they are NOT related to!!!”

At least in Monroe County.

New Technology I Learned This Week - 07 Feb 2010

Thanks to some of the wonderful blogs I read daily I have been attempting to broaden my mind with a little tech "Know-how" [previously known as "no-how"].

This week I learned how to track my Blogger statistics with Google! And believe me, if I can do it... ANYONE can do it!

Most of us are aware that Google owns Blogger [the wonderful hosts for our Blogspot blogs!]. But there really isn't a built in function for following the sites statistics [or if there is... forgive me... I haven't found it.] But who knows... maybe there will be in the future!

However, there is a great way, and it's easy, to track your visitors on your Blogger blog without putting up a linkback-image to the tracking service. It's called Google Analytics .

So, since everyone knows, or should know, that I am really tech-savvy [NO] I thought I'd give you a short lesson on how to set up this function for all of you who may be as "savvy" as I am! [As I said, if I can do it... ANYONE can do it!!!]

How to Track Your Blogger Statistics With Google Analytics
1. Go to Google Analytics to set sign up for your free account..

2. When logged in, choose to create a a new account (click on the menu next to "My Analytics Accounts" at the top right of the page and choose "Create a new account") and follow the steps. When you get to "Tracking Code", open up a new window and log into your Blogger account.

3. Go to your blog's settings and choose "Layout" and then "Page Elements".

4. Have a look at the footer (make sure it's the FOOTER) of the design and choose to "Add a Gadget".

5. Find the HTML? JAVA SCRIPT element and click on it.

6. Now a new page appears called Configure HTML/JavaScript". Don't write anything in the title line. Copy and paste the code from Google Analytics [from New Tracking Code"] in the content box. Then click on "Save".

7. Now your page element has been added. Click on "Save" on the "Page Elements Page" as well.

8. Continue with the followthrough on Google Analytics and youa re done!

To check your stats [which won't begin before 24-hours have passed], sinple log into your account at Google Analytics, and click on the particular web blog you have listed.

Yes! It really is that simple!!!

So, now if I could just find something as simple to drive MORE traffic to my site... I'd be doing just fine!